Snow guards have long been employed for fixed mounting to the lower ends of inclined building roofs, particularly in areas of the roof carrying gutters or other water collecting systems and above such gutters or water collecting systems to prevent the movement of snow or ice that accumulates on roofs and minimizing the possibility of damage to the gutters or water collection systems. Presently, such snow guards are formed of cast metal such as iron or fabricated from sheet metal such as steel. The metal snow guards are sometimes coated for resistance to corrosion. All of the presently known snow guards are to some degree responsible for marking or streaking of the roof surfaces due to their corrosion during weathering over an extended time period, such corrosion being inherent in the cast metal or fabricated metal portions, particularly the metal base.
Attempts have been made to form the snow guards of cast aluminum to prevent streaking as result of corrosion of the fabricated metal devices, but even those of cast aluminum result in streaking of the roof below the snow guard, since the aluminum as a result of its anodizing, produces a darkening stain which, although distinct from the red rust condition normally attributed to cast metal snow guards such as cast iron or fabricated steel, is readily visible. Thus, regardless of whether the snow guard is formed of unitary cast construction or wholly or partially of fabricated metal or whether the cast metal comprises iron or aluminum, there is always some discoloration to the roof due to corrosion or anodizing of the known snow guards.
Further, since snow guards are essentially located at prominent portions of the roof and easily seen from the ground, the snow guards formed of opaque material such as cast iron, cast aluminum or fabricated metal, are distinct in appearance, and are essentially unattractive, leading to the distraction of the roof from its normal architectural esthetics.
Further, snow guards whether cast unitarily or partially fabricated from metal, are relatively expensive in terms of their manufacture.